Strip holds special test for police

A thin man on a bicycle pedaled furiously past a 63-year-old woman from Chicago who was crossing the intersection at Sands Avenue and Las Vegas Boulevard. As he shot past, he snatched her purse out of her hands.

In spite of the afternoon heat, and the possibility that the purse-snatcher might be armed, Clara Evans kicked off her shoes and pursued the bandit across the congested Strip and east on Sands Avenue.

Her 70-year-old sister was not far behind, carrying the discarded shoes.

The thief made it one block to the intersection of Holmes Street and Sands when the strap of the purse became entangled in the bicycle chain, forcing the pony-tailed man to abandon his bike and flee on foot over a grassy knoll.

As tourists and locals watched in stunned amazement at the unfolding drama, the Chicago woman collapsed on the knoll on the north side of Sands across the street from the Sands Expo and Convention Center, and the thief disappeared over the hill.

Moments later a thin, shirtless man with a pony tail appeared over the knoll and ran across Sands to the Expo and Convention Center, where he was tackled by 50-year-old Emanual Hunt, a native of Cleveland who was on assignment in Las Vegas.

Hunt had been in his car and was one of the hundreds who had witnessed at least a part of the crime. When he saw the two elderly women chasing a man with a purse riding a bike, he became enraged. He leaped from his car and ran after the man.

After tackling the suspected purse-snatcher, Hunt punched him once in the face. The shirtless man crumbled to the ground like a rag doll and began to whine, a persistent whine that accompanied protestations of his innocence.

"I swear on my children it wasn't me," he whined. "I was chasing the guy. Didn't you see him? He was tall, had blond hair. I swear on my children."

Hunt walked away in disgust.

Bystanders cheered, and some patted him on the back -- including Metro Police officers who were on the scene and cuffing the suspect.

The suspect was placed in a patrol car, still whining, still swearing that he was innocent.

An ambulance arrived and gave Evans oxygen. The oxygen, and the recovery of her purse wrapped in a shirt, helped the retired postal employee breathe easier.

Welcome to the Strip, arguably the most famous street in the world.

The former Los Angeles highway sees its share of killings, such as that of rapper Tupac Shakur in 1996, and riots, such as the one that erupted after Mike Tyson bit off part of Evander Holyfield's ear in 1997.

And there are implosions, New Year's parties and major sporting events, many of which bring out pimps and prostitutes en masse.

"A big fight and it looks like a pimp convention in town," one veteran cop said.

But overall, it's a surprisingly peaceful neighborhood, considering the size of the crowds and the dynamic entertainment that draws them into the desert.

Most folks come to Las Vegas to have fun, not to make trouble.

"If you're an adrenaline junkie, you're in for a rude awakening," Metro Police Officer Jack Spencer said moments before the call came over the radio about the purse-snatcher. "It's not slow-paced, but we rarely have to jump into action real quick."

One recent Friday night was an exception.

Just before responding to the purse-snatching, which police estimate is the most prevalent crime on the Strip, officers arrested a man who expressed his scorn for lawmen with an obscene gesture.

The suspect was a man with a history of mental problems and lewdness.

He was quickly removed from the Strip, about as welcome here as panhandlers, homeless drifters and anyone else that might spoil a tourist's stay.

Purse-snatchers, trespassers and jaywalkers are among the most common type of criminals found on the street.

Jaywalkers are a problem because a lot of them get killed -- they walk down the streets, slightly tipsy, mesmerized by the bright lights and tall buildings, and they step in front of cars driven by people whose attention also is distracted by the bright lights and video marquees of the hotel-casinos.

Trespassers usually are arrested by hotel security for failure to leave upon demand, or for returning after being ordered to leave -- as private businesses, the hotel-casinos may ask anyone to leave for any reason.

One drunk tourist recently attempted to grab a female employee of a Strip casino and kiss her. Security held him until Metro Police arrived, a record was made of the trespass and the tourist was ordered to leave.

If he returns, his picture and record will be on file at the casino and Metro Police will arrest him.

Car thieves are another source of trouble -- many of them steal a car because it is so easy to do -- and they go for a joyride, often leaving the vehicle a only few blocks away.

Credit-card fraud is becoming a big-ticket item for police on the Strip -- someone with an excellent credit rating in some other city applies for as many credit cards as he can get, then gives them to someone who brings the cards to Las Vegas and maxes them out. The owner then reports them stolen.

Pickpockets are also a sore spot.

When Spencer sees the massive crowd pressed tightly together at Treasure Island hotel-casino watching the spectacular pirate show, he knows someone among the crush of people may be getting his pocket picked.

A number of problems consume the officers' time -- curfew violators, young people cruising the streets with radios playing too loud, traffic violations, drugs and public drunkenness.

"You can have an open container on the sidewalk," Spencer said, "but if you're intoxicated and step onto the street, it's a crime."

The Strip is a busy place. Controlling crowds, no matter how docile and accommodating, is no simple matter.

And Metro Police has a little help.

The Nevada Highway Patrol handles all traffic accidents on the Strip, because in addition to being Las Vegas Boulevard, the street is State Highway 604.

Because the Strip is in Clark County, the county fire department fights its fires.

Vice police keep prostitution under control -- most prostitutes work for escort services listed in the telephone book rather than stand on street corners. If a hooker is on the streets, one officer said, it's probably because she doesn't have a pimp and is a drug addict trying to make enough money for her next hit.

The hotel-casinos' private security forces increase the law-enforcement ranks on the Strip by several thousand.

"Hotels have a real firm grasp on things," Spencer said. "It makes my job a whole lot easier."

But there are times when security forces must be reminded that they aren't law-enforcement officers, such as the time when security in one of the major hotel-casinos began running a sting operation on prostitutes.

One of the biggest jobs of Metro Police on the Strip, internationally known for its bike patrols, is public relations.

"We are told, 'You are an ambassador for the department,' " Spencer said. "People take the impression of us home with them."

And so they frequently pause to have their picture taken and to answer questions.

"Patrolling the Strip is just like any other duty, it's just that we're more in the public eye," Spencer said.

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